How do you teach students about the movement of matter in plants, animals and decomposers in a fun way? Mystery Science is the answer!
Before I knew about Mystery Science, I don’t know how I ever managed teaching science along with all the other subjects I have to teach. Mystery Science has online standards-aligned curriculum that is very engaging and easy to use.
It’s hands-on and has fun investigations with written assessments and supplemental resources. You can get a free trial subscription for a year. All my science lessons are based on Mystery Science.
At my school, we don’t team teach, so I teach ALL subjects, and let me tell you, planning is overwhelming. Mystery Science makes my life so much easier. Thank you Doug!
This past month, I’ve been teaching my students the 5th grade Web of Life unit. The last lesson we did was “Where do fallen leaves go?”
Since we just finished studying decomposers, I created a game similar to Heads Up, Seven Up. Since it is Halloween, I decided to incorporate some Halloween fun into the game, but the game can be played anytime of the year.
Directions:
- Students put their heads down, close their eyes, and put their thumbs up on their desk. Turn off the lights to add some suspense.
- Choose one student to be “Death” by touching a student’s thumb. Or use a skeleton hand to touch (or lightly scratch) their back. You can get one from the dollar store.
- Once you have chosen “Death”, turn on the lights and have “Death” stand up. Students put their heads up to see who was chosen.
- Once again students put their head down, close their eyes, and put up their thumbs, and “Death” choses 4 leaves. These four leaves have fallen off the branches and are no longer alive. When “Death” is done choosing, turn the light on and say “Heads up.” The 4 leaves stand up and go to the front of the class.
- Now it is time for death and the 4 dead leaves to choose “Decomposers”. Again students put their heads down with thumbs up. When they are done choosing a student, the 4 leaves and death stand in the front of the class.
- Turn the lights on and “Decomposers” stand up. They take turns guessing who the person was that chose them. If they guess correctly, they get classroom money. They created a relationship between dead matter and decomposers!
We repeat the game again!
I end the lesson by reminding students that dead leaves need decomposers and vice versa. If they didn’t exist, dead leaves would just keep piling up.
Decomposers are important in the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Bacteria and fungi break apart dead organisms, making nutrients for primary producers.
The big idea that students need to remember is that decomposition eventually recycles materials back to soil. This is a disciplinary core idea in the 5th grade Next Generation Science Standards.
I hope that your students enjoy playing this game! If it happens to be before Halloween when you play, make sure to pick up a skeleton hand from the dollar tree. They will love it!
You got this! Giselle